


Geranium (determination)

by S_Horne



Series: August in Bloom [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, fear of water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-23 20:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20209297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Horne/pseuds/S_Horne
Summary: “Come on,” Steve called, voice echoing a little in the empty pool. “Come to me.”“I can’t,” Tony said in response, words hissed out through gritted teeth. “I would already be there if I could.”“Yes, you can,” Steve said patiently, not rising to the anger in Tony’s voice. “Just let go of the side and walk.”Steve said it so simply that Tony would have rolled his eyes had he not been concentrating so hard on staying alive. His grip on the tiled side only grew tighter to the point that his knuckles turned white from the strength.“I can’t.”“Tony,” Steve’s voice was calm but had a slight plead to it. Unsurprising really, given how long they’d been stuck in the same situation. It had to be at least an hour, if not more. Never let it be said that Steve didn’t have the patience of a saint. “Let go.”





	Geranium (determination)

“Come on,” Steve called, voice echoing a little in the empty pool. “Come to me.”

“I can’t,” Tony said in response, words hissed out through gritted teeth. “I would already be there if I could.”

“Yes, you can,” Steve said patiently, not rising to the anger in Tony’s voice. “Just let go of the side and walk.”

Steve said it so simply that Tony would have rolled his eyes had he not been concentrating so hard on staying alive. His grip on the tiled side only grew tighter to the point that his knuckles turned white from the strength.

“I can’t.”

“Tony,” Steve’s voice was calm but had a slight plead to it. Unsurprising really, given how long they’d been stuck in the same situation. It had to be at least an hour, if not more. Never let it be said that Steve didn’t have the patience of a saint. “Let go.”

“Steve, it’s too deep!”

“It’s not, sweetheart, I promise. Just take one step.”

Tony growled and rubbed his face on his bicep, not wanting to risk releasing his hands. “I can’t do it.”

“Yes, you can. Just take one step. Let go of one hand from the side and take one step out here.”

Tony took a deep breath, then another, and then one more. His left hand stayed firmly on the solid edge, but his right relaxed slowly until it finally slipped from the side, his arm rigid so that his hand stayed hovering in the air.

“That’s it, Tony,” Steve coaxed, pride warming his voice. He was stood a few feet in front of Tony, his hands outstretched in welcome.

Tony lifted one foot and took a single step forward before he froze, legs apart. “Steve, I can’t do this.”

“You can, you _know_ you can. Take one more step.” Tony opened his mouth but Steve held up a hand. “I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? It’s okay. One step.”

Tony squeezed his eyes closed and sucked in a breath, pursing his lips and letting the air out slowly. He shuffled awkwardly until his feet were together once more. He took another step until he was far enough out that only his fingertips were touching the tiled side. His arms began to shake and his breathing started to come a bit quicker.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” Steve coaxed, smile widening. “You’re doing so well, I promise. Take just one more step and you’ll be standing on your own.”

“Steve, I can’t.” Tony stopped and stared up at Steve, eyes wide and frantic. He hated water. He hated everything to do with water. Most days, he was lucky if he managed to take a shower that lasted longer than five minutes, and he made sure Jarvis spoke to him the entire time that his head was underwater in order to wash his hair. Static water made up most of Tony’s nightmares, even as many years as it had been since the cave. “I can’t. I can’t, I can’t.”

“Hey, hey.” Steve was quick to call out, but he didn’t take a step towards Tony, choosing to beckon instead of touching. Tony shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut once more, not wanting to look at where he was standing or be tempted to do something stupid like walk towards Steve’s ridiculously-inviting arms. “Do you trust me?”

That snapped Tony out of his panicked protests and his eyes flew open again, looking over at Steve like he’d gone mad. “What?”

“Do you trust me?” Steve repeated, his voice slow and words deliberate as he held Tony’s gaze.

Tony didn’t have to think about his answer for a moment. “Yes.”

It was only a simple reply, but that one-word answer that might have been the most truthful word Tony he’d ever said. Despite the length of time that it had taken them to get there, Tony knew that there wasn’t ever going to be a time in his future where he didn’t trust Steve Rogers with everything he had.

“Then do it,” Steve said, voice ever so gentle as he dropped one hand to play with the surface of the water. “One step; just the one. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, ever. Just trust me.”

Tony took another deep breath, chest heaving and hands shaking. He took one miniscule step forward, though it was a large enough distance for the cool touch of the tiles to disappear from his fingertips. His pulse raced as he moved, steps starting to move a little quicker in his desperation to touch Steve. When Tony finally got close enough to take Steve’s hand, the man beamed at him, smile brighter than the sun.

“What are you smiling at?” Tony asked. It didn’t seem like there was all that much to be happy about; his palms were sweating, his head hurt, and he was shaking far too much. The water was at least warm, but that was the only positive that Tony could draw from the experience.

“Look around you,” Steve said, his voice impossibly soft and his grin not faltering.

Tony finally dragged his eyes from Steve’s and looked down to see what he was talking about. He startled violently when he saw the ripples swirling around his waist, the clear blue water splashing up onto his chest. His eyes snapped up to Steve’s in shock and something in his chest bloomed as he took in the pride clearly flashing in them.

Keeping one hand firmly intertwined with Steve’s, Tony very slowly, very carefully, lowered his fingers to the water. The moment seemed to go on forever and ever before he finally broke the surface of the pool, dipping the very tips of his fingers into the warm liquid.

Nothing happened.

Tony wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting, but he still let out a startled laugh when absolutely nothing did.

He couldn’t believe that he was standing here, over waist deep in water for the first time in years. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, needing to see proof that he was standing in the middle of the swimming pool. The tiled edge was a few feet away from him and suddenly a thought occurred to him. He turned back to Steve with one eyebrow raised.

“I thought I was only taking one step?”

Steve grimaced sheepishly. Hesitation was clear in his expression, though his look of pride didn’t sway in the slightest.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” he started, squeezing Tony’s hand tightly. “I took a couple of steps back when you were walking to me, but you were doing so well. I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry.”

There was some part of Tony that knew he should be angry, but he was more shocked of the fact that he had walked into the middle of a swimming pool. Willingly. And that he was still standing in said swimming pool without spiralling out of control.

His shakes hadn’t subsided and he could feel his heart still racing in his chest, threatening to beat a hole through his rib cage, but he had done it and he was still on his feet. There was water swirling around him and he wasn’t drowning, wasn’t screaming and shouting as he thrashed and flailed.

His next move wasn’t planned and he hadn’t thought it all the way through when he suddenly surged forward and crushed his lips to Steve’s. Before Steve could respond, Tony pulled back.

There was silence as the two stood gazing into the other’s eyes, their fingers still twisted together and water gently swirling around their bare chests. All of a sudden, Steve smiled again, a slow and beautiful grin that lit up his whole face.

“Yeah?” Steve finally asked, words little more than a puff of air.

Tony licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.” He took a little pride in Steve’ dazed expression before he squeezed his hand. “Now, can I get out?”

**Author's Note:**

> I have [a tumblr](https://s-horne.tumblr.com/) and sometimes I post [fun things](https://s-horne.tumblr.com/post/186933274479/this-looks-very-hard-for-a-sunday-afternoon-my)


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